Map, expanding color: How to do this?

kentwolf wrote on 9/1/2007, 9:53 AM
In Vegas (7), say I have a black background. Any color will work fine for this part.

Over this black background, I have a high resolution graphic of a United States map. The map edges/border are visible. You can see the whole map; birds-eye view.

Starting from a point in the middle or so of the map, I want to show an expanding semi-transparent color spreading from the start point to cover the entire map, but I want the semi-transparent color to stay *within* the boundaries of the map graphic.

I still want the features of the map to show through the semi-transparent color.

This does need to be a dynamic, expanding color, so doing a layer in Photoshop will not give me the dynamic, expanding motion I am seeking to show.

Any ideas how to do this? I have never needed this effect before, but I certainly do now.

Thanks.

Comments

Grazie wrote on 9/1/2007, 10:24 AM
Wolfie?!? You have email. Just knocked one OUT for you ..

Grazie



kentwolf wrote on 9/1/2007, 10:44 AM
I responded.

Thanks!
Grazie wrote on 9/1/2007, 10:53 AM
Me too! Sent 5 mins ago. G
kentwolf wrote on 9/1/2007, 11:11 AM
I don't see anything. I checked and nothing is caught in the spam filter either.

Thanks.
Grazie wrote on 9/1/2007, 11:47 AM
eh? - I'll try from another email acocunt . . hold on ..

G
kentwolf wrote on 9/1/2007, 12:04 PM
Got it.

Thanks!
busterkeaton wrote on 9/1/2007, 12:24 PM
So tell us your solution.

I think you would need a mask in the shape of the map. I still think you could use a photoshop color. You could make it dynamic by using a transition like iris that was also masked to the shape of the map.

I still would like to hear your steps though, becuase it always takes me a while to figure out how to translate what I just said into tracks and composite modes and such.
Grazie wrote on 9/1/2007, 12:47 PM
BK - You have email. - G
kentwolf wrote on 9/1/2007, 2:23 PM
Grazie:

Thanks!

That was precisely what I was l looking to do. What is it ya'll say in the UK: "Spot on?" :)

I kinda figured after I asked that it may take some parent/child compositing. Not quite sure how to set it up though. You got it perfectly.

Thanks much!!
Grazie wrote on 9/1/2007, 2:31 PM
Pleasure - Old Bean!

All you need to do is swap out your own maps. As long as there isn't a direct match in the Chroma Key - which you can then adjust anyway, you should be good to go.

I'm not sure which I prefer, the light one or the sinister dark one!

Grazie
JohnnyRoy wrote on 9/2/2007, 8:26 AM
> So tell us your solution.

Like everything else in Vegas there are always multiple solutions. One way would be:

1) Place a Generated Media Solid Color on the track above and set it's color and transparency to whatever you'd like.
2) Add a Sony Cookie Cutter to the Generated Media
3) Keyframe the Size parameter in the Cookie Cutter to grow as needed.
4) Open Pan/Crop on the generated media and add a Mask in the shape you want the media to be limited to (In this case just trace the USA map).

That's all there is to it. No parent/child compositing or anything. Everything is done with the generated media.

If it is too difficult to trace the USA map you could create a version of the map that is White with an Alpha Channel. Then add it to a track above the generated media, set the track composite mode to Multiply (Mask) and make the generated media track a child of this new top track.

~jr